– 7th edition has been around for a while now and although my playing time hasn't been nearly as extensive as I'd like it to be, I wanted to run through some things I've noticed so far and I'd like all of you to chime in as well.

•Psychic powers aren't nearly the Poo Poo we thought; ya they still are and we're still seeing people using giant psychic fueled deathstars which is annoying but for the most part it seems to have come down significantly (and summon spam never took off as a complete concept; it was and still is required with a good core army concept to lead it). Once the Culexus Assassin gets some time on the sun I think this will drop even further but all in all the psychic hasn't led to more extreme polarisation than 6th edition deathstars

•Imperial Knights are a much bigger deal than we thought; as we've seen in recent results an army with a Knight or a Knight formation is really quite common and most armies have not adapted to this.

•Army composition; CAD + one other source allows those smaller books a chance to actually see time without a huge opportunity cost. I know a couple of the larger tournaments were trying this out initially but it seems to have filtered down reasonably well. All your Inqusition, Sisters, Legion of the Damned, etc. users can still bring multiple other options to actually make a workable list and this hasn't lead to any “breaking”. Yes most are still steering away from CAD despite the multiple FoC arguments reviewed in 6th edition but I think this ends up as a fine compromise anyway while avoiding the stupid of unbound.

•Eldar are still the king; Wave Serpents with objective secured and good access to psychic powers do that however; based upon results coming in from tournaments we're seeing a greater spread of armies beneath Eldar (rather than just Tau, Daemons and Necrons). Ironically despite Tau having strong options against Eldar (Buffmander w/Crisis suits all split firing drops Serpents pretty quickly), they seem to have regressed the most of the “top armies” of 6th edition despite still having the best shooting.

•Objective Secured isn't as big; I expect this will slowly change with time but it appears that everything accessing scoring has led to a much bigger move away from Troops than originally thought. I imagine this will even out as psychic deathstars are poked by Assassins but the variety of builds which seem to be minimising Troops currently seems quite high. Access to good Detachments from new books has also contributed to this and there are obvious army exceptions but in general, Troops seem to have taken a slight backseat as 7th has kicked off given that everything else scores currently.

•Vehicles in general; there's been an increase but not a massive one. Light vehicles are still largely being left at home and although some vehicles have increased in usage, they are mostly coming from decent durability to points costs options or for Objective Secured purposes (but as discussed above, this hasn't been a big a boon initially as many expected). High AV vehicles are probably seeing more time – specifically Imperial Knights; and interestingly a move to more capacity to deal with these has not yet happened; who is running a balanced army that can deal with three IK currently? Still waiting for more meltaguns…

I still feel 7th edition is better than 6th edition (despite my decreased motivation to play due to other factoids currently) though the release rate still makes it hard to keep up. I'm still curious to see more information from the Imperial Guard / Astra Militarium players and get my own head around how Space Wolves and Grey Knights fall into the mix.

by Kirby – from Jidmah

Thanks to Jidmah for putting together a lovely copy of all the Orky changes (plus Ghazzy) for 7th Smile.

So, since our codex has arrived early due to GW's very own Mek technology shooting the codex into close combat, it's finally time to have a look at what changed for us orks from 6th edition:

7th Edition:

1) Shooting - (Combi-)Skorchas no longer shoot at the same time as burnaz, potentially leaving either out of range to hurt anything. - Focus fire is gone. Putting half your mob in cover is no longer a disadvantage. - Artillery can move and shoot. 2) Assault - You can now charge vehicles and monstrous creatures you can't hurt - You can move through space smaller than your base while charging - Charging through difficult terrain is -2″ - 'urty syringe only gives a reroll if your strength is higher than target 3) Characters - When a character overkills is opponent in a challenge, the excess wounds are allocated to the unit. No more sergeants taking one for the team - When the unit has no one left to fight, they will pile in the challenge and can allocate wounds to the challenge. No more characters stalling a mob of boyz for one turn by challenging the nob - Any character can be your warlord - New warlord tables, some pretty useful for orks 4) Vehicles - Rams no longer take distance traveled into account, but gain +1S from reinforced ram's +2AV - Vehicle explosions are S4 for everyone, inside and outside - Can't explode vehicles without AP2/1 unless open topped - Passengers of open-topped vehicles now suffer hits from template weapons - Deff dreads and Killa Kanz got Hammer of Wrath 5) List-building - Can take any number of detachments with at least 1 HQ and two troops - Lost Tau, Necrons, and Imperial Guard as allies of convenience - Can now ally “come the apocalypse” factions

Codex: Orks: faction-wide special rules

- Kept Furious charge - Need Warboss to call Waaagh! - Waaagh! goes back to allowing running and charging during the same turn - Waaagh! is now called before rolling for reserves - Got 'ere we go, which allows to reroll one charge dice. All orks have 'ere we go - Mob rule changed: On a failed moral or pinning test roll D6 instead: 1 Born to Fight: If in combat, pass, otherwise fail 2-3 Breaking Heads: If character in unit, pass and take d6 S4 hits, otherwise fail. Wounds cannot be allocated to ork characters (wounds disappear if only characters are left) 4-6 Squabble: If 10 or more orks in unit, pass and take d6 S4 hits, otherwise fail - Orks can choose to use a detachment with 3 HQ 9 Troops 3 FA 3 Elite 3 HS 1 LoW 1 Fortification instead of the normal one. If they do 1 HQ and 3 Troops are mandatory. Units of 10 or more models that roll 10″ or more on the charge have Hammer of Wrath. No objective secured. - Formation requiring exactly 6 Boyz mobs, 1 unit of Nobz, 1 unit of Gretchin, 1 mek and a Warboss allows for unlimited Waaaghs! Has Hammer of Wrath rule above as well

1 Prophet of the Waaagh!: The Warlord gains the Waaagh! special rule. If the Warlord already has the Waaagh! special rule then, in addition to the usual effects, all friendly models with the ’Ere We Go! special rule gain the Fearless special rule when he calls a Waaagh!, until the start of their next turn. 2 Bellowing Tyrant: The Warlord, and all friendly units with the Orks Faction within 12″ of him, re-roll failed Morale checks and Pinning tests. 3 Like a Thunderbolt!: The Warlord, and all friendly units with the Orks Faction within 12″ of him, can re-roll all the dice when determining Run moves or charge range. 4 Brutal but Kunnin’: The Warlord can re-roll one failed To Hit or To Wound roll each turn. 5 Kunnin’ but Brutal: The Warlord can re-roll one failed armour or invulnerable saving throw each turn. 6 Might is Right: The Warlord receives +1 to the Strength characteristic on his profile.

[Additional Malstrom Missions

If your Warlord has the Orks Faction, these Tactical Objectives replace the Capture & Control Tactical Objectives (numbers 11-16) described in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules.

- Shoot an enemy unit off the board, - Kill the an enemy in a challenge with your warlord (d3 VP if you kill the enemy warlord) - Destroy an enemy unit in your assault phase (more units gone, more points) - Three units must turbo boost, move flat out, ram or run 6″ or more (6″ only for running, any distance for athers). - Secure a random objective (roll a D6 when drawing the card), - Charge more than 10 inches.

HQ

- Warboss no longer makes Nobz troops - Warboss now calls the Waaagh! - Big Mek no longer makes Deff Dreads troops - Big Mek can now take MA and KFF or MA and Tellyporta-Blasta (short range S8 Ap2 blast, instant death/auto pen on sixes) - Big Mek can now take Bike and KFF or Bike and SAG - Big Mek may take a killsaw - Big Mek gets a KMB instead of a TL shoota when switching to MA - Weirdboy and Warphead upgrade dropped in price - Weirdboy no longer randomly cast powers - Weirdboy may generate powers from Sanctic Demonology, Malific Demonology and Power of the Waaagh!. - Weirdboy has force staff (+2S AP4) - Weirdboy generate an extra warp charge if at least 10 orks nearby. When he does and fails to manifest a power he takes a S2 hit, no saves allowed - Mad Doc Grotznik gives Fearless, Rampage and FNP - New! Able to field a regular mek for every HQ chosen, takes no slot. May join infantry or artillery units. Meks can still be taken as part of Burna/Loota units - Meks can take Kill Saw, KMB, Kustom Mega Slugga, Rokkit, Kombi weapons and grot oilers - Mek tools fix vehicles on a 5+ but no longer shake vehicles - New! Able to field a painboy as HQ - Pain boy can take boss pole, warbike, grot orderly and attack squig - New! Badrukk is now a HQ choice, small drop in points - Badrukk has the Kunnin’ but Brutal Warlord trait - New! Zagstruk is now a HQ choice - Zagstruk has the Bellowing Tyrant Warlord trait - Zagstruk causes S8 AP2 Hammer of Wrath attacks - Zagstruk no longer allows his unit to assault after deep strike - Zagstruk no longer executes his unit - Wazzdakka is gone. Fluff claims he has left with his own Waaagh! of bikers. - Ol' Zogwort is gone. Fluff claims he has left with his own Waaagh! of mad- and weirdboyz.

Elite

- Mega-Armoured Nobz have the option to take a pair of killsaws (Powerklaw with armour bane) - Mega-Armoured Nobz may take boss poles. - Mega-Armoured Nobz are bulky - Nobz slightly cheaper, bike upgrade more expensive, so biker nobz are the same as before - Nobz can buy 'eavy armor for less points - Nobz lost the ability to purchase painboyz or cybork - All units (including nobz) are now lead by a boss nobz, same stats but character - Tank bustaz got a small price drop - Tank bustaz are no longer limited in their target choices. Instead, Glory Hogs gives an additional VP if they score first blood by killing a vehicle - Tank bustaz' tank hammers are S8 AP3 unwieldy but costs 15 points now - Tank bustaz' bomb squigs are now AP4 and no longer hit own vehicles - Tankbusta bombs have become Meltabombs. - Tank bustaz may take Trukks as dedicated transports - Tank bustaz get the tankhunter special rule - Tank busta nob can no longer take tank hammers, and gets now discount on his klaw. - Burna boyz are slightly more expensive - Burna boyz may take Trukks as dedicated transports - Meks from Burna units get a discount on their killsaw - Kommandoz got a price drop - Kommandoz gained Stealth - Kommandoz can have Nob and Snikrot - Snikrot can be fielded solo, or joined to a unit of Kommandoz - Snikrot's has fear, can still arrive from any board edge, his shroud replaces stealth - Snikrot does not take up a force organisation slot if you have any Kommandoz at all (does not need to join them). - Snikrot can no longer enter the table from the opponent's edge - Snikrot and his unit gain the Shrouded USR on the turn he arrives or is deployed, but it replaces their stealth. - All Elite choices have stikkbombs

Troops

- Nobz leading boyz may take combi-shootaz - Boy Nobz leading boyz can only get 'eavy armor if entire mob is upgraded - Boy Nobz cannot gain one of the special weapons, but may buy combi-shootaz - Slugga boyz have gained stikk bombs for free - Shoota boyz have gained stikk bombs and have increase by one point per model - No limit on units you can upgrade to 'ard boyz - Boyz get rokkit for 5 points less - Gretchin dropped in points - Grot pod may now choose to make one attack at double strength - Squighound causes d3 S3 hits on the gretchin rather than outright eating thems

Fast Attack

- Dakkajets, Burna bommers and Blitza bommers only fire one additional shot with their assault guns during a Waaagh! - Bitza bommers bombs are now S7 AP2 large blast, armorbane - Blitza bommers shoot rear armor on their 10-12 result when dropping a bomb - Deff koptaz 5 points cheaper - Deff koptaz no longer need to pay points for their ranged weapon upgrades - Storm boyz have dropped in price - Storm boyz can now be fielded in units of 30 - Storm boyz can now use their jump packs to run 2d6 in addition to moving 12″. If they do, they take dangerous terrain tests. - Storm boyz can benefit from the Waaagh! - Warbikers got a massive price drop to 18 per bike - Warbikers can be fielded in units of 15 - Warbikers no longer get 4+ cover. Instead, they gain +1 cover while turbo-boosting - Buggies 5 points cheaper - Buggies can be taken in units of 5 - Buggies can gaine the Outflank USR - New! Trukk can be chosen as fast attack choice - Trukk dropped in price - Trukk upgrade to Rokkit now free - Trukk rule “Ramshackle” downgrades penetrating hits to glancing hits on a 6+ - No more size limit on units to buy trukk

Heavy Support

- Killa Kanz have gone up in price per model, but weapon upgrades are cheaper. Kan with rokkits is the same as before, kan with grotzooka is 5 points more. - Killa Kanz can now have up to 6 walkers per unit - Killa Kanz must roll a d6 after losing more than 25% of their unit. If they roll 1 or 2, the entire unit is shaken. Panic roll is increased by +1 for every 3 kanz or 1 deff dread nearby. - Killa Kanz get Grot Riggers for 5 points per model - Killa Kanz get a Kan Klaw instead of a DCCW, being +2S AP2. - Deff Dread and its options have become a little cheaper (100 points for all-klaw dread) - Deff Dreads now use power klaws instead of DCCW (no functional change) - Deff Dreads now get an additional attack from their first pair of PKs - Deff Dreads get Grot Riggers for 10 points - Zzap gunz now roll a d6 on strength 11 and 12. On a 1-3 it Get's Hot! - Battlewagon has gone up in price - Battlewagon can upgrade to killkannon for half the old price - Battlewagons can get grot riggers for 10 points - Flash Gits had a small price drop - Flash Gits' snazz guns trippled their shots - Flash Gits no longer have any upgrades but ammo runts - Flash Gits may take battlewagons as dedicated transports - Flash Gits now have Boss Poles instead of 'eavy armor - Flash Gits are lead by a Kaptin, same stats but character - New! Lootaz now in heavy support - Lootaz got a small price drop - Lootaz may have a trukk as dedicated transport - New! Gorkanaut AV13/13/12 Walker - Gorkanaut has a S6 AP4 Assault 3d6 weapon, two rokkits, skorcha and a TL big shoota. - Gorkanaut has rampage - New! Morkanaut AV13/13/12 Walker - Morkanaut has a S8 AP2 small blast weapon, two rokkits, a KMB and a TL big shoota - Morkanaut can take a KFF - Both walkers have a Klaw of Gork (or Mork), which is S10 AP1 concussive - Both walkers can take Gort Riggers for 20 points - New! Mek Gunz combine old big gunz entry and four new artillery guns - Mek Gunz may have up to five gunz per battery each with up to four gretchin - Mek Gunz cannot take runtherds - Kannon, Lobba and Zzap gun got price drops - Bubblechukka is large blast and rolls one d6 for both strength and AP - Smasha gun is S4+d6 AP1 - Kustom Mega-Kannon is S8 AP2 small blast, Get's Hot! - Traktor-Kannon is S8 AP3 Skyfire and automatically immobilizes fliers when at least glancing them. FMC get -3 to their grounding check. - Zzap gun got Get's hot! and has a 50% chance of getting hot again when strength is above 10. Still shakes on glances and pens. - Each Mek Gun determines their random rolls by itself. So five zzap guns, 5x 2d6 for strength - Looted wagon has been removed from the codex, readded by White Dwarf - Looted wagons had a massive price drop - Looted wagons' “Don't press dat.” is now rolled in the shooting phase and forces you to move flat out. No longer prevents disembarking. - Looted wagon can no longer take boom gunz, option for killkannon instead

Lords of War

- Ghazghkull Thrakka is now a Lord of War - Can take attack squig and ammo runts. - Lost +2 attacks on the charge from Adamantium Skull, gets Eternal Warrior and Cybork instead - Thrakka no longer give 6″ runs on his Waaagh! - Instead, MA models in his unit (including him) may run during that turn - Give flat 2+ invul until next turn - Can no longer call the Waaagh! at any time - Stompa is in the codex - Stompa can take Grot Riggers and extra Supa-Rokkits

Wargear

- KFF is now a 5++ save against shooting for models within 6″ (not units!). While embarked, only the transport gets the save, no extending bubble, no protection from flamers or explosions for the passenger - SAG only kills the Mek now, no one else - SAG is Vortex, which causes the large blast to become destroyer and to jump every shooting phase until you roll double. - Big Choppa is AP5 - Cybork is 6+ FNP now, no invul, doesn't stack with painboyz - Git Findas give +1 BS when model remained stationary. Available to all HQs - Attack Squig gives one reroll to hit per combat - Boss pole: Each time a unit that includes at least one model with a Bosspole rolls on the Mob Rule table, you may choose to re-roll any result other than a Breaking Heads(2-3) result. You must accept the result of the re-roll - Waaagh! Banner went up in price, still nobz only - New! Kustom Mega Sluggas for Meks: S8 AP2 Get's Hot! Pistol

- Ded shiny shoota is a 6 shots twin-linked shoota, rolls of 1 hit one of your own units within 6″, can't hit own unit or self. - Warboss Gazbag’s Blitzbike has a twin-linked S6 AP3 Assault 3 gun on it and can turbo-boost 18″ - Hedwompas choppa is a +2 str, AP5, rending choppa that beheads on a roll of 6 (insta death). - Da Finkin Kap gives your warlord an additional trait from the strategic list in the BRB. - Lucky Stixx is a Waaagh! banner for +1 WS. In addition the user can choose to reroll any failed to hit, to wound or saving throws they make. If they fail 3 of these rerolls in a single turn they are removed as a casualty. - Da Fixer Upperz: Mek tools that succeed to repair on a 3+, big mek only. Says meks can use it, but meks can't get relics

Supplement: Waaagh! Ghazghkull Special rules

- Warlord must always issue and accept challenges. - If your warlord kills a character in challenge, he rerolls to wound for the rest of the game. - +2 to mob rule result, but causes d3+3 rather than d6 hits.